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May
26
Mon
Bank Holiday Afternoon Concert @ Lauderdale House
May 26 @ 1:30 pm

The Aspidistra Drawing Room Orchestra present a concert with great songs and some of the best tunes of the ‘Palm Court Era’ performed in style by this joyful ensemble consisting of a string quartet, piano, flute and oboe.

Jun
30
Tue
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jun 30 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
1
Wed
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 1 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
2
Thu
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 2 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
3
Fri
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 3 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
4
Sat
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 4 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
5
Sun
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 5 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
7
Tue
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 7 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
8
Wed
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 8 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
9
Thu
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 9 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
10
Fri
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 10 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Jul
11
Sat
Throwback – Silver Lining @ Jacksons Lane
Jul 11 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 30 JUN – 11 JUL 2015 (8pm & 2pm Sat/Sun Matinee)

Returning to Jacksons Lane following sold out performances of their début show, young British circus stars Silver Lining premiere their brand new show Throwback.

Commissioned as part of Jacksons Lane’s 40th Anniversary celebrations,Throwback is a physical spectacular, showcasing all that is exciting about UK circus. With awe-inspiring aerial performance, innovative acrobatics and some of the world’s best juggling skills all injected with that special Silver Lining magic.

This action packed, fast-paced show has explosive circus performances, honest stories and a lot of fun. With new faces and new skills, Throwback takes the audience on an adventure about what we can remember and everything we forget.

See some of the rehearsal shots here.

Post-Show Discussion:

The company will be chatting about how they made the show on Thu 2 and Tue 7 Jul.

Tickets Discounts:

Come see the show on 3 for 2 Fridays, or get 5 full price tickets for £50 any other day.

Sep
27
Sun
I Maestri Orchestra present: Mastering the Masters @ Highgate United Reformed Church
Sep 27 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

I Maestri Orchestra present: Mastering the Masters

 

The orchestra of I Maestri begins its 15th season with an Autumn programme of Beethoven and Mendelssohn.
Conductor and conducting mentor John Landor of LMA Orchestra collaborates for the second time with I Maestri with his students for a Masterclass workshop and evening performance on Sunday 27th September 2015.

I Maestri is a unique organisation that helps talented young conductors explore their skills and learning with an orchestra through a programme of workshops, masterclasses and public performances.

Evening programme:

Beethoven Symphony No. 4, Op. 60

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, Op. 90 ‘Italian’

Performance begins at 6:30pm

We hope you can join us for a wonderful performance and to experience different conductors in their making.

Tickets: Adult £12 and Concessions £9 (on the door)

Advance tickets: Adult £9 and Concessions £7

(10% booking fee applicable)

 

Visit: http://wegottickets.com/event/332544

 

Box Office opens at 5:45pm

 

Please note that tickets will not be posted out and need to be collected from the Box Office on the day of the performance.

Jun
19
Sun
I Maestri present: A Heroic Journey @ Highgate United Reformed Church
Jun 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The orchestra of I Maestri ends its 15th season with a programme of Mozart and Beethoven; music written before and after the French Revolution.

Conductor and mentor John Landor of LMA Orchestra collaborates for the third time with I Maestri with his students for a Masterclass workshop and evening performance on Sunday 19th June 2016.

We will be joined by soloists; Chiawen Kiew – Flute and Tomos Xerri – Harp who will perform Mozart’s sublime Flute and Harp Concerto.

I Maestri is a unique organisation that helps talented young conductors and soloists explore their skills and learning with an orchestra through a programme of workshops, masterclasses and public performances.

Evening programme:

Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto in C, K. 299/297c

Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E – Flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”

Performance begins at 7pm

 

Tickets: Adult £12 and Concessions £9 (on the door)

Advance tickets: Adult £9 and Concessions £7

(10% booking fee applicable)

 

Visit: http://wegottickets.com/event/362365

 

Box Office opens at 6:15pm

 

Please note that tickets will not be posted out and need to be collected from the Box Office on the day of the performance.

 

We hope you can join us for a wonderful performance and to experience different conductors in their making.

Sep
25
Sun
I Maestri present: Nature’s Idyll @ Highgate United Reformed Church
Sep 25 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
I Maestri present: Nature's Idyll @ Highgate United Reformed Church | London | England | United Kingdom

The orchestra of I Maestri begins its 16th season with a programme of Brahms, Sarasate and Schumann.  Music that reflects nature’s seasonal change from Summer to Autumn; nature turns from being fruitful and full of vitality to a more calm pace and state of resting. Soon it will be harvest and a time to enjoy nature’s bounty.

A return to nature is the theme for this evenings programme as the music carries a pastoral mood, sounds of the romantic idealisms of rustic beauty, with Gypsy Airs and Idyll’s of a time once before.
We will be joined by returning soloists Leora Cohen – Violin and Thomas Gregory – Cello

I Maestri is a unique organisation that helps talented young conductors and soloists explore their skills and learning with an orchestra through a programme of workshops, masterclasses and public performances.

Conductors: Miguel Esteban and George Hlawiczka
Venue: Highgate United Reformed Church, Pond Square Chapel, South Grove, Highgate, London. N6 6BA
Concert programme:

Brahms Tragic Overture, Op. 81

Sarasate Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25

Schumann Cello Concerto, Op. 129

Brahms Symphony No. 2, Op. 73

Performance begins at 6:30pm

Tickets: Adult £12 and Concessions £9 (on the door)

Advance tickets: Adult £9 and Concessions £7

(10% booking fee applicable)

Box Office opens at 5:45pm

Please note that tickets will not be posted out and need to be collected from the Box Office on the day of the performance.

May
21
Sun
I Maestri present: Songs of Love @ Highgate United Reformed Church
May 21 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

I Maestri’s May Concert introduce a UK premiere of Riccardo Romano’s, ‘The Passion’ which is based on Bach’s St Matthew Passion.  Nino Rota is a composer of many well-known film scores including The Godfather and we shall present one of his orchestral works which is based on a song about love.  To end our programme, we present Dvorak’s ‘New World’ Symphony with the beautiful Cor Anglais solo in the slow movement.

Concert programme:

Riccardo Romano – The Passion (UK premiere)

Nino Rota – Sinfonia sopra una canzone d’amore

Dvorak Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 ‘From the New World’

I Maestri is an established orchestra under the patronage of the late Sir Neville Marriner which gives a platform to aspiring conductors and soloists wishing to develop their experience and knowledge in an environment of mutual co-operation. The orchestra is made of the best orchestral players to the best amateurs as well as recently graduated students. I Maestri have helped soloists such as Nicola Bennedetti, Yuri Zhislin, Maxim Rysanov, Dóra Kokas and many others, in giving them a platform to explore their potential and develop their early musical careers in a more relaxed setting.

Tickets: Adult £15 and Concessions £12 (on the door)

Advance tickets: Adult £11 and Concessions £9

(10% booking fee applicable)

Box Office opens at 6pm

Please note that tickets will not be posted out and need to be collected from the Box Office on the day of the performance.

Oct
14
Sat
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 14 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
15
Sun
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 15 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
17
Tue
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 17 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
18
Wed
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 18 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
19
Thu
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 19 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
20
Fri
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 20 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
21
Sat
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 21 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
22
Sun
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 22 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
24
Tue
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 24 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
25
Wed
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 25 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.

Oct
26
Thu
Jamaican Intuitives @ Highgate Gallery
Oct 26 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Christopher Harris, Jockey Rider

Jamaican Intuitives     13-26 October

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to see a unique Jamaican branch of contemporary art which was first acknowledged post-independence and which continues to flourish. There are no pretty beach scenes; no ‘tourist’ art. The work is challenging and powerful.

Until Jamaican Independence in 1962, the larger part of Jamaica’s art establishment took only European and North American style art seriously. This was a legacy of colonialism. With Independence, the importance of the arts and of acknowledging and exhibiting Jamaican artists was recognised in helping to shape a national cultural identity.

It was the late Dr David Boxer, Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica for over 35 years, who coined the word ‘Intuitive’ – now an official art term. He defined the context in which these remarkable artists’ accomplishments should be considered:

‘These artists paint and sculpt intuitively. They are not guided by fashion. Their vision is pure and sincere, untarnished by art theories and philosophies, principles and movements. They are, for the most part self-taught…. Their visions (and many of them are true visionaries) as released through paint or wood, are expressions of their individual relationships with the world around them – and the worlds within.’

All five artists in this show were born and (have) spent their lives in Jamaica. Their work has been part of major exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica, and has been shown across the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

  • Christopher Harris was born in 1974. He was one of the fourteen selected exhibitors in the prestigious Young Talent V Competition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in 2010. Encouraged to draw from an early age by his father, a farmer and a portraitist, Christopher’s work connects to his Ashanti forefathers.
  • Kingsley Thomas was born in 1941. He worked in Kingston as a journalist for the now closed Jamaica Daily News before moving back home to rural Portland. A number of his lyrical paintings and sculptures refer to stories he covered as a journalist.
  • Leonard Daley 1930 – 2006. Partly surreal, partly realist, Daley’s images tap into Jamaica’s collective consciousness and history. In 1999, at the opening of Daley’s one-man show at the University of the West Indies, Dr David Boxer declared him to be ‘one of the truly great natural painters of the century.’ Daley was awarded the prestigious Bronze Musgrave Medal in 2002.
  • Evadney Cruickshank, born c1950. Evadney started painting after observing her then partner, the artist Sylvester Woods, at work. Her narrative paintings record daily life in her rural community – Pocomania services (an African-based religion), street dances, clearing up after hurricane damage. Her dry sense of humour infuses her work.
  • Birth ‘Ras Dizzy’ Livingstone c1932 – 2008. Ras Dizzy first came to public attention in the 1960s as a Rastafarian poet/philosopher selling his writings on the University of the West Indies campus. A remarkable colourist, he portrayed himself in his paintings as a prize-winning boxer, a judge, a horse race jockey. A poetic insight was written on the reverse of each work.

Opening Party on Sunday 15th October 2-5 pm featuring the Koromanti Mento Band. Mento is Jamaica’s folk music and the precursor to ska and reggae. The High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Seth George Ramocan, will be guest of honour. Jamaican Intuitives is part of the official Jamaica55 celebrations.

Exhibition continues until 26 October.

Highgate Gallery open Tue-Fri 1-5; Sat 11-4; Sun 11-5. Closed Mon.